Shadowcraft Weapon

Description

This highly malleable weapon is forged from insubstantial darkness using a combination of illusion and transmutation magic. Each shadowcraft weapon is designed with a base type (melee or ranged) and handedness (one-handed or twohanded for ranged weapons, and light, one-handed, or two-handed for melee weapons). Ranged shadowcraft weapons that use ammunition create their own projectiles out of shadow, but they can be loaded with and fire other types of ammunition, as well.

The wielder of a shadowcraft weapon can alter the weapon’s shape as a standard action simply by picturing the form she wishes it to assume. A shadowcraft weapon can assume the form of any masterwork weapon that shares its type and handedness, regardless of its categorization as simple, martial, or exotic. Shadowcraft weapons are able to take the shape of weapons of different size categories, as long as they would be treated as the appropriate level of handedness for the shadowcraft weapon’s true size. For example, a Medium two-handed melee shadowcraft weapon can become a greatsword sized for a Medium creature, or a longsword sized for a Large creature (which a Medium creature would treat as a two-handed weapon).

Shadowcraft weapons are quasi-real and deal less damage if an opponent realizes this. The first time each round that a creature is hit with a shadowcraft weapon, that creature can attempt a Will saving throw to disbelieve (DC = 15 + twice the weapon’s enhancement bonus, if any). On a failed check, the weapon deals damage normally. On a successful save, all of the weapon’s attacks against that creature do minimum damage until the wielder’s next turn, and that creature gains a +4 bonus on subsequent saving throws to disbelieve the attacks of that wielder’s shadowcraft weapon. Shadowcraft weapons deal only 1 point of damage to objects. In addition, the wielder of a shadowcraft weapon gains a +1 bonus on attack rolls and adds +1 to the save DC to disbelieve the attack if the opponent is in an area of dim light or darkness. In contrast, the wielder takes a –1 penalty on attack rolls and to the save DC to disbelieve the attack if the opponent is in an area of bright light.

A shadowcraft weapon can be enhanced like any other masterwork weapon and it retains all of its abilities between transformations, including enhancement bonuses and weapon special abilities, except those prohibited by its current shape. For example, a keen shadowcraft weapon functions normally in the form of a piercing or slashing weapon, but cannot use the keen special ability while in the shape of a bludgeoning weapon. A shadowcraft weapon retains the last appearance it was commanded to assume until its wielder commands it to assume a different form.